Thursday, December 18, 2014

Aldi: Aldi now carries hummus!!! I have seen 3 flavors: natural, spicy, and pumpkin. I´ve onlyhad the natural, I thought it was very good, but should have been labeled lemon flavor. €1,39 for 200g (December 2014)

English bacon €,99 for 90g. Thanks to HENhaus member Theresa E. for the find!

There is a new stand in the Rewe Getränkemarkt on Pödeldorfer Strasse in Bamberg (Thanks to my husband for discovering!). While Kraft macaroni and cheese, poptarts and some other items offered here can be found elsewhere, there are many items that are harder to find. Captain Crunch Crunchberry, Lucky Charms and Fruity Pebbles all around the €7 mark. The assortment of Hershey´s bars is incredible. Regular, almond, cookies and cream all for €1,29. Reese´s Peanut Butter cups and Almond Joy as well.

American sodas such as Welch´s grape and assorted Fanta varieties as well. They claim to be the only place selling Kool Aid.

This Rewe location is about a 3-4 minute walk from the Bamberg Bahnhof.

Monday, December 8, 2014

OTC medications are often NOT actually over the counter, they are behind the counter, so you must ask at the Apotheke for them. This may, or may not be followed by questions from the pharmacist about your condition. It´s been my experience that it is better to follow their (highly educated about German medications) recommendations rather than insist on something. OTC medications do not require a prescription. Note: Green means plant based or homeopathic. Here is a list of recommended OTC medications in Germany: General Pain Relief: Paracetamol = TylenolAspirin = Aspirin for the (Bayer) brand name product. For generic aspirin, ask for ASS or Acetylsalicylsäure. Ibuprofen = Ibuprofen (US Advil, etc.)**Note: for coated capsules (enteric coating) ask for Magensaftresistent.Sore Throat:Ipalat= recommended throat losengesDorithricin = recommended throat losengesWicks - same as US brand VicksMuscle Pain:Voltaren Gel Thermacare warm packs (stick on)Dehydration: Oralpadon = Electrolyte drink to be mixed with waterVomiting: Vomacur (for motion sickness as well as stomach flu) Sleeping Pills: Haggar NachtStuffy Nose:Weleda Schnupfen Cream - to be applied IN your nose. It makes your nose run for the first few minutes and then you are good to go! Great before bedtime with a cold.**see Cold SymptomsCough:Aspecton Hustentropfen - Thyme extract for coughs, mix a few drops in waterCold Symptoms: Rhinopront = close to Sudafed (US)Aspirin Complex = aspirin plus pseudoephedrin Wick Day Med - acetaminophen, phenylpropanolamine (non drowsy decongestant) und dextromethorphan (cough suppressant).Wick MediNait - acetaminophen, dextromethorphan, ephedrine (sinus congestion relief), doxylamine (makes you sleepy)Sinupret - homeopathic for cough/mucous/sinus/cold symptomsAllergies:Zytrec = Zyrtec (US)Diphenhydramine = Benadryl (US)Vividrin = remedy for Hay Fever, available in tablets, nose spray and eye dropsRash/Skin Problems: Hydrocort = Hydrocortisone cream. Only available .5% OTC here, in the US 1%.Cuts/Scrapes:Tyrosur Gel = Antibiotic cremeHydrogenperoxide = Same, but the pharmacist must mix it for you. The most common (US) percentage is 3% for cuts, scrapes, oral hygiene.Especially for Children: Nurofen = fever/bad flu Sinupret (fluid) for flu/cough releaseProspan syrup = for heavy dury cough/mucous congestionNeed to find an open Apotheke on a Sunday, holiday, or evening? Aponet.de Enter your zip code here to find an open Apotheke near you today. Alternatively, your local weekend newspaper will have a list, or check the door of your local (closed Apotheke. They take turns providing after hours services.

December 4 is the Feast of Saint Barbara, or Barbara Tag. According to legend (though they vary), Barbara grew up in what is now Turkey. Her father, Dioscorus, a wealthy merchant, would lock Barbara up in a tower when he was away in order to preserve her virginity. One day he came home to find three windows in the tower, instead of two. He asked her what happened, and she confessed that she had converted to Christianity, and been baptized by a Priest who had disguised himself as a doctor. The third window was added as a symbol of the Holy Trinity. This infuriated her father, and as it was done against his will, she was accused, brought before a judge, and sentenced to beheading. Her father, legend has it, was struck dead by lightening on the very same day. Legend has it that a branch of a cherry tree got caught in Barbara´s dress. She watered it daily in her tower cell, and on the day of her execution (in 306) it bloomed. On Barbara Tag, many people purchase a Barbara Zweig, or Barbara Branch of a cherry tree. If you put it in water on December 4, it is said to bloom on Christmas, bringing good luck.

Though the Catholic Church deemed Saint Barbara a non-historical person, and removed her feast day from the official Church calendar in 1969, many people in Catholic regions of Germany still celebrated the tradition.

Advent refers to the time leading up to Christmas, and is the time for preparing for the holiday, baking cookies, eating Lebkuchen and Stollen. It´s also Christmas Market time! See here for a list of Christmas Markets in the HENhaus area.

One tradition involves the Adventkalendar. Advent Calendars come in various shapes and forms, but the idea is that one counts down the 24 days until Christmas (December 1-24). The more traditional are boxes, with a piece of chocolate or candy behind 24 doors.

Photo: Karstadt online

The largest door is always the 24th.

There are Advent Calendars for everyone, Some have toys behind the doors, others have liquor oe beer! I´ve seen Nivea and La Roche skin care calendars, and even "adult" calendars as well. Really, anything goes!

If you can´t find the one you want, there are also some you fill yourself. Karstadt has an amazing selection.

Photo: Katescreativespace.com

Photo: theidearoom.net

While many German Christmas traditions are hundreds, if not thousands of years old, this one is rather new. Though stories differ, one originates in Maulbronn, Germany. The mother of a young Gerhard Lang grew tired of him asking when Christmas was coming, and created the first Advent Calendar by sticking candies (or cookies or chocolates depending on the story) on a piece of cardboard so that he could visualize (and eat!) the countdown. When Gerhard grew up, he was the owner of a printing company, and created the first Advent Calendar as we know it, with little doors to open in Munich around 1904. It was known as the Munich Christmas Calendar. It did not contain chocolate, rather, Bible verses and pictures related to the Holiday. During the War, production was stopped, due to the rationing of cardboard. In 1946, a man named Richard Sellmar brought the calendars back, but it wasn´t until the 1950´s that the calendars contained chocolate.

Another Advent tradition is the Adventskranz, or Advent Wreath.

Photo: Wikipedia

The wreath contains four red or violet candles to symbolize the four weeks of Advent. Sometimes a Christ Candle is placed in the middle. Beginning on the first Sunday of Advent, a candle is lit. Families gather around the wreath and may read Bible passages, pray together or sing songs.

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